Chasing October: Instant takeaways as Blue Jays advance to World Series

Here are our takeaways from the Blue Jays' 4-3 series-clinching win over the Seattle Mariners in Monday's ALCS Game 7.

John Schneider stepped up to the podium, drenched head to toe in champagne, with a smile that was 30-plus years in the making. The manager understood the magnitude of what his Toronto Blue Jays had just accomplished, and he was going to make sure to soak in every last bit of it.

"Pretty cool," Schneider said. "Pretty humbled to be part of it. I've said it before: Besides my wife and kids, this is what I pour my life into, so to be leading the team that's going back to the World Series for the first time in 32 years, kind of hits me a little bit."

Schneider's Blue Jays will play for baseball's biggest prize for the first time since 1993 after becoming the first team in ALCS history to lose the first two games at home and still win the series. Here's how Toronto did it in Game 7.

'It's indescribable'

When George Springer signed a six-year, $150-million deal ahead of the 2021 season, it was in hopes that he would lead the Blue Jays to the World Series.

It may have taken a little longer than initially expected, but his three-run, go-ahead homer in Game 7 was worth the wait.

Springer, sore knee and all, stepped into the batter's box in the seventh inning against Eduard Bazardo. He took a first-pitch sinker for Ball 1. Then, he launched a swing that will live in franchise history forever.

The fact that it was Springer shouldn't surprise anyone who's followed this team all year. It's been a resurgent season for the 36-year-old, and he's carried it into October.

Though Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took home ALCS MVP honors, the award easily could have gone to Springer. He hit three home runs, drove in a series-leading seven RBIs, and posted a 1.054 OPS across the seven games.

Springer was the first person on stage to congratulate Guerrero for winning ALCS MVP, and in the moments after Game 7, when all the attention was on Springer, his first instinct was to credit his teammates.

"The at-bats before me," Springer said when asked what he will remember about his home run. "I mean, if it's not for those guys, that moment doesn't happen."

Springer's right. The rally started in typical 2025 Blue Jays fashion: with the bottom of the lineup setting the table for the big boys at the top. Addison Barger led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on an Isiah Kiner-Falefa single. Both runners moved into scoring position after Andrés Giménez bunted them over. Everyone did their part to pass the baton.

The stage was set for Springer.

"It's indescribable, it's special," Springer said of reaching the World Series. "Everybody believed in this locker room from the start, and here we are."

'A ballsy pitch'

When the bullpen door opened in the eighth inning with the Blue Jays clinging to a one-run lead, many people were shocked to see Chris Bassitt running out of it.

The 36-year-old was left off the ALDS roster and had pitched once since Sept. 18 - in a mop-up role during the loss in Game 2. But with Schneider already having used Louis Varland, Seranthony Dominguez, and fellow starter Kevin Gausman, he turned to Bassitt to bridge the eighth to closer Jeff Hoffman.

Bassitt was originally set to come in with the team trailing, but when Springer hit the home run, Schneider still opted to go to the right-hander.

"The home run threw me for a loop, I'll say that," Bassitt admitted. "I wasn't too nervous until that home run. It turned from, 'We're down two, don't give up a run and give our offense a shot,' to: 'All right, you're not going to score a run off me. I'm not going to be that guy.'"

Bassitt delivered one of his finest performances in a Blue Jays uniform. He got Randy Arozarena to ground out, and then struck out Eugenio Suárez with 72-mph curveball on a full count. His 10th and final pitch of the night induced a ground ball off the bat of J.P. Crawford to end the inning. Bassitt walked off the mound and unleashed a huge scream.

"Chris's curveball to Geno, man, 3-2, it's a ballsy pitch, and that's who Chris is," Schneider said. "To see his reaction was really fulfilling."

"I called it," Max Scherzer said of Bassitt's curveball. "I was in the bullpen, and I was like, 'Bassitt, throw the curveball,' and he did. It was a big-time pitch. I knew he had it."

Bassitt's performance is just another example of a Blue Jays player doing whatever he can to help the team win, and it's why they've made it this far.

"I've told them for three years that whatever they need, whatever they want, I'm going to give it my all," Bassitt said. "I don't really care where it's at. If you want me to be the waterboy, I will, but damn, it's great to be a part of it."

Check out our full game breakdown below. 👇

9th inning: The Blue Jays are going to play in the World Series for the first time since 1993. Closer Jeff Hoffman, who signed with the club in the offseason after failing physicals with two other teams, retired Julio Rodríguez to end the ALCS. Game 1 of the Fall Classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers opens Friday at Rogers Centre.

8th inning: What a performance from Chris Bassitt. The 11-year veteran retires the Mariners in order in relief of Kevin Gausman. Bassitt wasn't included on the ALDS roster and had pitched just once since Sept. 18. The 36-year-old, who has never pitched in a World Series, let out an emotional scream walking to the dugout after recording the final out of the inning. Seattle turns to its best reliever in Andrés Muñoz to try and keep this one within reach.

7th inning: George Springer loves the big moment, and this was one of the biggest swings of a career that's already authored so many. The Blue Jays designated hitter hammers a three-run home run off Eduard Bazardo's second pitch of the 7th inning that has Rogers Centre shaking. It's Springer's 23rd career postseason home run, tying him for third-most in MLB history. It's fair to wonder if Dan Wilson pushed Bryan Woo one inning too far, or if Bazardo - who was working for a ninth time this postseason and a second straight night - was the right call.

7th inning: The Blue Jays are going to Game 5 starter Kevin Gausman with the lineup set to turn over heading into the seventh inning. It's all hands on deck. It's the right-hander's first relief appearance for Toronto.

6th inning: Bryan Woo's thrown up back-to-back zeros. What an unbelievable weapon for Dan Wilson to go to in this situation. The right-hander strikes out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a nasty sweeper to end a nine-pitch battle. It's just the third strikeout - second swinging - for Guerrero this postseason.

5th inning: We're bullpenning now. Bryan Woo is the first arm out for Dan Wilson after George Kirby gives the Mariners four solid innings and allows just one run. Woo was Seattle's best starter during the regular season, and can really shorten Game 7 if he's effective here. Toronto really needs to get the offense going as Andrés Muñoz is looming not too far away.

5th inning: Seattle is hitting home runs again, and that's bad news for the Blue Jays. Cal Raleigh takes Louis Varland deep to extend the lead. It's back-to-back changeups from Varland to start the at-bat. With Raleigh hitting left-handed, the attack plan is clear. The second one just splits the center of the plate and ends up in the seats. It's Raleigh's fourth home run of the ALCS, and he's now homered in every other game this series. Seattle's best players are so far pacing the offense in the biggest game in the franchise's history. The Mariners have squandered a lot of run-scoring opportunities tonight, going 1-for-6 with RISP, but have been bailed out by the long ball.

4th inning: That's it for Shane Bieber as John Schneider goes to his bullpen to prevent his starter from facing Julio Rodríguez for a third time. It's the right call as Bieber just wasn't especially sharp tonight, and sees his outing end by walking the No. 9 hitter Victor Robles. We'll see how Schneider navigates the rest of the game as he summons Louis Varland, who has now worked every contest this series other than Game 3.

3rd inning: George Kirby is starting to settle in. The right-hander's retired six of the last seven batters he's faced. After a 45-pitch first inning, Kirby's needed just 23 pitches combined across the second and third. He flew through the third inning, getting Nathan Lukes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Alejandro Kirk out. A shutdown inning for him is huge after Seattle grabbed the lead. The Mariners' bullpen is quiet.

3rd inning: Julio Rodríguez has shown up tonight. The Mariners outfielder crushes a 423-foot solo home run off Bieber to put Seattle up 2-1. Rodríguez, who also homered off Bieber in Game 3, has two of the three hardest-hit balls (108.6 mph and 107.2 mph) in Game 7. The home-run ball has been Bieber's biggest issue this season, surrendering at least one in eight of his 10 appearances since returning from Tommy John surgery.

The J-Rod dinger came off a Bieber slider - the best pitch in his arsenal. Opposing batters hit .175 off his slider this year and whiffed at it 35.7% of the time. A glance at the numbers and everything about the offering is what you'd expect - 38 inches of vertical break, 85 mph. He's clearly just struggling with location and command on breaking balls.

2nd inning: The Mariners' lineup is deep, but the drop-off in the bottom third is significant. After Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suárez open the inning with back-to-back singles, J.P. Crawford records an out on a sacrifice bunt that moves the runners over. Leo Rivas strikes out and then Victor Robles grounds out to Shane Bieber to end the threat. Bieber hasn't looked especially sharp, but it's huge to get out of the inning without turning the lineup over once again. At least the Crawford bunt prevented the Mariners from grounding into another double play.

1st inning: George Springer can't really run at 100% after taking a fastball off the knee in Game 5, but he can still work a great plate appearance. Springer leads off with a six-pitch walk and comes around to score the tying run on a Daulton Varsho RBI single. George Kirby doesn't look particularly sharp. He allows two hits and a walk in a 25-pitch first inning. The final out of the inning came off Ernie Clement's bat at 101.6-mph - one of three hard-hit balls he allowed. Kirby's coming off the worst start of his season, so the leash should be especially short.

1st inning: The Mariners open the scoring for the sixth time this series as Dan Wilson's lineup change pays off immediately. Julio Rodríguez hammers a 107-mph leadoff double down the line off Shane Bieber to start the game - his first hit since Game 3 - and scores on a Josh Naylor RBI single. Naylor has been Seattle's best hitter in the ALCS and is 6-for-10 with two home runs over his last four games. Much like in his previous start, Bieber labored through his first inning but was bailed out after Naylor broke up a double play by jumping into the throw. You really do see something new every day in baseball, but if anyone was going to do it, it shouldn't be a shock that it was Naylor.

Pregame: We're 30 minutes from first pitch, and players have begun to take the field to stretch. Depending on how superstitious you are, there could be some good or bad omens for the Blue Jays. Toronto is wearing its white panel hats, which have brought some luck down the stretch. Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. arrived at Rogers Centre wearing a white Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews jersey. The Maple Leafs' history, especially in Game 7s, isn't necessarily one to remember fondly, but maybe Guerrero is looking to exorcise some demons.

Pregame: The Mariners are shaking up their lineup slightly for their first Game 7 in franchise history. Josh Naylor is hitting third, with Jorge Polanco moving into the cleanup spot. Victor Robles will take over in right field for Dominic Canzone.

The Blue Jays are rolling out the same lineup. George Springer remains in the leadoff spot despite dealing with a sore knee.

Starting pitchers: We've got a rematch of Game 3 with Shane Bieber facing off against George Kirby. Bieber picked up the win after striking out eight over six innings, while Kirby got rocked, allowing a season-high eight runs over four innings.

About last night: Let's catch you up. The Blue Jays forced a winner-take-all Game 7 at Rogers Centre by beating the visiting Mariners 6-2 on Sunday, punctuated by a six-out effort from Jeff Hoffman. The righty closer required 35 pitches over the final two innings, and it'll be interesting to see if that has any carryover effect in the finale if he's called upon again. There's no tomorrow for the loser, so both managers are adamant that every pitcher is available. Seattle skipper Dan Wilson has already said starters Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo will be in the 'pen if necessary. Jays manager John Schneider has tabbed staff ace Kevin Gausman and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer as potential options. The only arms we should confidently expect not to make appearances are the Game 6 starters: Logan Gilbert and Trey Yesavage.